The Equal Housing and Employment Act (EHEA, HB 176) would prohibit discrimination in employment and housing in the state of Ohio based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. The summer recess is in full swing for the Ohio legislature, and, though we have some rumors that the House will bring it to a vote (and likely pass in that body) when it reconvenes in the fall, it has yet to really move to the Ohio Senate. Equality Ohio and Do What’s Right, Ohio! are encouraging supportive individuals to continue to contact their state Representatives through the summer, but the bill has made a little bit of news in the last week:

The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, which also supported the removal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, fully supports the implementation of LGBTQ employment and housing protections in the state.

On Top Magazine ran a piece on August 7th about EHEA. Kim Welter of Equality Ohio, the lead group lobbying for the bill, is quoted in the piece as saying: “We [Equality Ohio] would not support a bill that did not include gender identity.” Well done.

Jason Haap, candidate for Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education and editor of the Cincinnati Beacon, wants the following section to be added to the district’s policies banning harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity:

Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Harassment

Prohibited sexual orientation harassment occurs when unwelcome physical, verbal, or nonverbal conduct is based upon an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, real or perceived, and when the conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with the individual’s work or educational performance; of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working and/or learning environment; or of interfering with one’s ability to participate in or benefit from a class or an educational program or activity. Such harassment may occur where conduct is directed at the characteristics of a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity such as slurs, nicknames implying stereotypes, epithets, and/or negative references relative to said orientations or identities.

Last night, he and local activist Kathy Laufmann attended a CPS Board meeting to publicly state their support for the addition. Though the meeting was dominated by workers who came to discuss contracts and wages, Haap reports some positive response amidst mostly surprise for the issue. No one expected it.

I believe the Bush administration termed it “shock and awe.”

Currently, CPS does include gender and sexual orientation in its Nondiscrimation and Access to Equal Educational Opportunity policy, and the district does have policies on Anti-Harassment and Bully and Other Forms of Aggressive Behavior. The former policy — 5517 — currently elucidates harassment based on race/color, religion/creed, national origin, and disability. A slew of recent school bullying related deaths has sparked a national debate on anti-bullying legislation. Passing local rules against sexual orientation/gender identity harassment is the first step in expanding such protections to other school boards and the statewide educational system.

Scientists announced in an article published in the journal Nature that they have decoded the entire genetic structure of HIV-1, the primary strain of the virus affecting the developed world. Though still unclear the significance, the hope, as always, is that the discovery will help them find better ways to combat the virus. It appears the primary hope is understanding how the virus evades the human body’s immune system.

70,000 showed up to protest a shooting outside of Tel Aviv’s community center that left two dead.

“The shots which struck this proud community affected us all as human beings, as Jews and as Israelis. The man who targeted the two victims targeted all of us.” Israeli President Shimon Peres told the crowd.

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